Ammunition



jam. 7, 1958 c. T. REYNOLDS AMMUNITION Filed Feb. 9, 1954 n bH -V HN INVENTOR. CLAUDE T. REYNOLDS AGENT lin 2,8 18,3 1 6 Patented Jan. 7, 1958 Ali/IMUNITION Claude T. Reynolds, Kane, 111., assignor to Olin Mathieson Chemical Corporation, a corporation of Virginia Application February 9, 1954, Serial No. 409,154

3 Claims. (Cl. 102-42) This invention relates generally to ammunition and more particularly to an improved shot shell and a novel top wad therefor.

Ordinarily, that end of a shot shell adjacent the shot column has been closed by means of a cardboard disc and rolled type crimp. Because this top wad impedes the flight of the shot it has been the practice more recently to close the end of the shell by folding and plaiting the end of the tube substantially in the manner proposed by Garkovenko and Fighiera in U. S. Patent 1,646,083. This type of end closure does not materially interfere with the flight of the shot. It is somewhat disadvantageous in paper shells, however, because it is less resistant to shock and other abusive handling than the stronger roll crimp and top wad end closure. Moreover, such an end closure frequently cannot be utilized successfully for closing aluminum or similar metal shells or for closing shot shells molded from plastics.

It also has been proposed to provide a top wad which will fly edgewise through the air by embedding lead near the periphery of the paper disc. Such a wad is expensive and ditficult to make. Furthermore, some distortion of the shot pattern will result if a wad passes edgewise therethrough.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an end closure for shot shells which combines the desirable roll crimp with a top wad which will not deleteriously affect the flight of the shot. Another object of this invention is to provide an improved end closure suitable for plastic or metal shot shells as well as paper shot shells. A further object of this invention is to provide a novel top wad for shot shells having a paper, plastic or metal case which top wad is adapted to not interfere with the flight of the shot.

The foregoing objects as well as others will become more apparent from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the top wad provided by the invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a shot shell embodying the invention;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the top wad provided by this invention;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of a shot shell similar to that shown in Figure 2 but showing the rim projecting into the shot column;

Figure 5 illustrates in perspective the position of the top wad with respect to shot shortly after they have emerged from the guns muzzle; and

Figure 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of still another embodiment of the invention.

Generally speaking, according to the present invention, a shot shell is provided with a top wad having a disc shaped body and a raised or projecting edge forming a rim about only a portion of the periphery of the disc. The end closure is completed by turning the end of the tube inwardly and into engagement with the exposed surface of the disc to form a conventional roll crimp. It is much preferred to place the top wad in the shell case with the rim thereof extended away from the shot and to fold the end of the tube over this rim because the resulting end closure is exceptionally strong and because the wad is locked in place by the folded over part of the tube. The invention, however, also contemplates shot shells in which the rim of the top wad projects towards the shot column. For best results, the rim should not extend along more than about one-half of the periphery of the disc. The disc may be made from paper, cardboard, metal, alternate layers of metal and paper or other suitable materials but it is preferred to form the wad from a plastic. Suitable plastics include polystyrene, cellulose acetate, ethyl cellulose, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene and the like. The more brittle plastics should be plasticized in order that the wad will not disintegrate when the shell is fired.

The invention contemplates as a preferred embodiment thereof a greatly improved shot shell which may have either a metal, plastic or laminated paper shell case. This shot shell is provided with a cup-shaped wad adjacent the powder charge with the rim thereof projecting towards the powder. The end closure embodies a roll crimp and a top wad having a rim along only a portion of its periphery. A shot shell having this combination of components is not only advantageous ballistically because of its improved shot pattern but also because of its strong, shock resistant end closure.

In order better to describe and clarify the invention the following is a detail description of embodiments thereof:

A top wad is molded by conventional methods from polyvinyl chloride to have a body 1 and an annular rim 2 extending along only about one-half of the periphery thereof, such as is shown in Figure l. A suitable shot shell case 3 of paper, plastic or metal is provided with base wad 10, primer 11, powder charge 8, filler wads 6 and 7 and shot 5. Top wad 1 is then inserted over the shot 5 and the end of tube 3 is folded inwardly to form a rolled type crimp 4, such as is illustrated in Figure 2. In this particular embodiment rim 2 projects into the crimped portion 2 and is locked into place thereby.

In another embodiment illustrated in Figure 4, the various explosives, wads and shot components are placed in the shell as described in the foregoing with the exception that a cup-shaped wad 13 is placed over the powder charge. Top wad 1 is then placed over the shot column with rim 2 projecting inwardly or into the shot column 5. The end of the tube is folded inwardly to form the rolled type crimp 4 with the ends of the tube tending to press Wad 1 against shot column 5. If the shot shell has a paper tube it is reinforced at the breech end thereof by means of a suitable metal head 9 as illustrated in both Figures 2 and 4.

The embodiment illustrated in Figure 6 is particularly well adapted for shot shells having a metal case such as aluminum, but is also suitable for shot shells having a plastic or paper case. Shell case 14 is preferably formed by a suitable extrusion or drawing process from aluminum. A base wad 10, primer 11, powder charge 8, filler wads 6 and 7 and shot 5 are placed in shell case 14 and top wad 1 is then placed over shot 5 with the flange 2 thereof extending from the shot column, as shown. The mouth of the shell case 14 is then turned inwardly about 90 or less to engage and lock wad 1 into place as shown at 15. It will be noted that in this embodiment it is unnecessary to fold the end of the tube about 180 as is illustrated in Figure 2. Functioning of the metal shot shell and of some plastic shells is improved in this way because such a crimp imposes less resistance to the pas- I 3 sage of the various components from the shell when it is fired. As indicated in the drawing a separate metal head such as 9 in Figures 2 and 3 is not required for this type of shot shell and it is often desirable to increase the thickness of .the ,head portion 'of .theshell and to eliminate the base wad .10.

The respective position of wad 1 with respect to shot column 5 and filler wads 6 and 7 is illustrated in Figure 5 at a position about three feet from the guns muzzle. Wad 1 does not seriously impede the flight of the shot because it is immediately projected from in front of the shot. ,It is believed, although not definitely established, that the rimmed portion of the wad imposes more resistance to the air than the other portion of the wad and is thus projected away from the flight of the shot by the air. .In any event, the wad does not pass through or otherwise impede the flight of theshot column. Consequently, the dispersion .of the shot about the target is much more uniform when the wad of this invention is utilized than if a conventional card disc without a rim is utilized.

As indicated hereinbefore, the end .closure provided by this invention is particularly advantageous in aluminum or similar metal shells as well as in shells having a plastic case. It is verydifficult and impractical to provide metal and plastic shot shell cases with the folded and plaited type of crimp disclosed by Garkovenko, et a1. Consequently, various other types of end closures involving the heretofore available cardboard wad have ,been utilized in practice. The top wad provided by this invention thus not only enables the use of the rolled crimp with its attending advantages in paper shot shells but also provides an end closure particularly well suited for use with the more waterproof metallic and plastic shot shells.

The top wad may be formed by a molding process as aforesaid or the rim may be formed by forcing a disc of suitable metal, plastic or paper through a die bymeans of a punch. If a circular disc is used a portion of the resulting rim should be removed in order to provide a wad having a rim along only a portion of its periphery. The disc may be cut in such a way that ithas an annular flange before it is forced through the die andin this way only the flange portion will be folded to form a rim. When a rim is formed by forcing a disc through a die it is advantageous to form flutes thereon such as is illustrated in Figure 3.

Although the invention has been described in detail in the foregoing this description is merely illustrative of the invention and many variations can he made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed and desired :to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A top wad for shot shells having an imperforate disc shaped body with an integral flange on the periphery of the disc normal to the plane thereof and extending not more than about half way around said disc.

2. A top wad as in claim 1 in which said flange is fl ted.

3. A shot shell having acase with .wad, explosive and shot charges therein and an end closure comprising a top wad having an imperforate disc shaped body with an integral flange on the periphery of the .disc normal to the plane thereof and extendingnot more than about half way around said disc, the end of said case being turned inward against said top wad.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 236,304 Carney Jan. 4, 1881 247,327 Farnham Sept. 20, 1881 289,191 Walker Nov. 27, 1883 294,177 Alexander Feb.'26, 1884 955,680 Person Apr. 19, 1910 1,115,570 Reeves Nov. 3, 1914 2,299,465 Coifman Oct. 20, 1942 2,582,125 Holmes Ian. 8, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 455,739 France -May 3.1, v1913 149,639 Great Britain Apr. 21, 1921 739,569 France Nov. .3, 1932 837,934 France Nov. 28, 1938 

